LOS ANGELES — Corey Haim, a 1980s teen heartthrob whose career was blighted by drug abuse, has died. He was 38.
Haim died early Wednesday at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, Los Angeles County coroner’s Lt. Cheryl MacWillie said.
“As he got out of bed (at his apartment), he felt a little weak and went down to the floor on his knees,” Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said.
His mother called paramedics. An autopsy will determine cause of death. There was no evidence of foul play, police Sgt. Michael Kammert said.
Haim, who gained attention for roles in “Lucas” and “The Lost Boys,” had flulike symptoms before he died and was getting over-the- counter and prescription medications, police Sgt. William Mann said.
Haim acknowledged his struggle with drug abuse to a British tabloid in 2004.
“I was working on ‘Lost Boys’ when I smoked my first joint,” he told The Sun. “I did cocaine for about a year and a half, then it led to crack.”
Haim said he went into rehabilitation and was put on prescription drugs. In 2007, he told ABC’s “Nightline” that drugs had hurt his career.
“I wasn’t functional enough to work for anybody, even myself. I wasn’t working,” he said.
The Toronto-born actor got his start in TV commercials at age 10 and developed a good reputation for his work in such films as 1985’s “Murphy’s Romance” and his portrayal of Liza Minnelli’s dying son in the 1985 television film “A Time to Live.” His career peaked when he became a heartthrob with his roles in the 1986 movie “Lucas” and “The Lost Boys” in 1987 in which he battled vampires.
In later years, he made a few TV appearances and had several direct-to-video movies. He also had a handful of recent movies that have yet to be released.
In recent years, he appeared in the A&E reality TV show “The Two Coreys” with his friend Corey Feldman. It was canceled in 2008 after two seasons. Feldman later said Haim’s drug abuse strained their working and personal relationships.
In a 2007 interview on CNN’s “Larry King Live,” Haim called himself “a chronic relapser for the rest of my life.”
